Book of Tens: The Coolest IPad Apps of 2010

Published on December 13, 2010.

FLIPBOARD
Flipboard has managed to publish arguably the prettiest, most fluid content app without paying a single editorial team, photographer or journalist. The souped-up news aggregator launched this year as a reader that transforms links from social networks into a slick e-magazine with images and copy pulled from the source. While the app initially induced terror among the publishers it gleaned content from, it recently struck revenue-share deals with the likes of ABC News, Bon Appetit and The Washington Post to serve full-page ads against their content. (Free)

NETFLIX
While Netflix's app is basically its web-streaming service formatted for the iPad, it's reliable, easy to use and gets around that little problem of your spouse wanting to watch football while you're in the mood for melodrama. Since you'll probably get an iPad for Christmas if you don't already have one, remember that it fits perfectly on your lap when you're in bed or on the tray table when you're on the plane, making the $8 it now costs per month for a streaming-only Netflix subscription more than worth it. (Free)

GLEE
So anyone can live out their "Glee" fantasies, app developer Smule created this karaoke app so Gleeks can sing along with the cast, record their ditties and share them. Plus, Fox and Smule, the developer behind last year's I am T-Pain autotune app, built in ways to keep collecting from the Gleeks -- new songs for the app are released periodically for an additional 99 cents. (99 cents)

KEYNOTE
This app version of Apple's Powerpoint is cool insofar as being able to save presentation edits for the flight to the meeting and not having to lug a laptop. Keynote is not the only app version of Apple's office products I Work; Pages for word processing and Numbers for spreadsheets are available too. ($9.99)

REMOTE PALETTE
Power up Remote Palette for any antsy child and you'll immediately see why this painting app, from digital agency Dare, London's innovation studio, wins the distinction of coolest on iPad this year. Parents, you'll thank us. Considering most iAddicts were first in line for the tablet device this past April, it's likely not a problem that this app also requires an iPhone -- the painter's palette to the iPad canvas. Via Bluetooth, tapping the iPhone determines the color, brush size or loads up a coloring book stencil, which turns a fingertip into a paint brush on a blank iPad. It's magic. (99 cents)

SCRABBLE FOR IPAD
It's Scrabble, but cooler because the tiles can't go flying all over the place if you knock the table and iPhones can be used as tile racks. ($9.99)

DOFL BALL
From New York digital agency Firstborn, this app is perfect for the inevitable travel delay or mindless coffee break. Solo or with two players, the game is basically touch ping pong and it has a sense of humor, too. (Free)

INSTAPAPER
Better suited to the iPad than its smaller iPhone sibling, Instapaper is the perfect e-reader for those of you with link ADD on Twitter and email newsletters. Have 14 tabs open on your browser at work of Ad Age stories you just have to read? With Instapaper, save them for later by clicking a button you install on your desktop or mobile web browser. When you've got the time, Instapaper keeps those stories in queue in the clean, page format we've seen in e-books. ($4.99)

AIR DISPLAY
Did you always wish you had a sweet, dual-screen workstation set up like a trader or super cool hacker? Once you install a program to your desktop, this app turns your iPad into an extra monitor. ($9.99)

WORLD ATLAS HD
This app from National Geographic is a world atlas that toggles between different maps of the same locations: old-timey sepia -- called "executive" -- political and satellite view thanks to Bing Maps. There are also the usual stats and figures on individual countries, as well as the fun of zooming and scrolling around the world that's been native to physical globes up until now. ($1.99)